


The Path Beyond the Dawn

by CortChannon



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: M/M, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 20:36:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15565923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CortChannon/pseuds/CortChannon
Summary: Following the final conflict in Radiant Dawn (WARNING: Fic Contains major plot spoilers!), Ranulf can't find Ike anywhere. When he finally does track him down, Ike is bathing alone under a waterfall. After the embarrassment of being caught in such a position, Ike allows Ranulf to join him, and they discuss what their futures hold on a continent where neither really feels at home. Ike and Ranulf have always kept their walls up around other people; could they help one another to finally be themselves? Ike asks Ranulf what he truly wants, and Ranulf decides to show Ike exactly that....





	The Path Beyond the Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> My second fic, this time using what may be my all-time favourite pair of characters. As before, I drew some (very NSFW) line art to go with this fic; you can find it at <https://cortchannon.tumblr.com/post/176631596124/ikeranulf01> and <https://cortchannon.tumblr.com/post/176631417409/ikeranulf02> (I did a LOT of art for this fic; this pairing really speaks to me!) I hope you enjoy!

The Path Beyond the Dawn: Ike/Ranulf

by Cort Channon

WARNING: CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR PATH OF RADIANCE AND RADIANT DAWN

 

     Ranulf padded away from the camp, leaving the celebrations behind. It was done. It was all done.

     Three years, it had been. More, if he counted the unrest leading up to the Mad King’s War. The entire continent had been upended. And now, somehow, the fighting was over, but everything was not back to normal. There was rebuilding to do, order to restore. Crimea needed to build a solid foundation for itself, Daein had a power vacuum to fill, Bengion’s entire religious foundation had been shaken. And the Laguz had plenty of work to do as well: Skirmir would be succeeding the throne soon, and that meant a lot of work for Ranulf. His head hurt just thinking about it.

     But for the time being, few people in the army were thinking about the work that lay ahead—everyone was busy celebrating the work that lay behind them. After the battle with Asheara ended and the armies were freed from her petrification, the day that followed had been non-stop revelling at camp. For a while, Ike had been in the middle of it, tolerating the cheers and attention with a forced smile on his face, but with night having given way to dawn Ike was nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t in his tent, and he wasn’t with the partygoers. Soren, normally always by his side, had been off in a corner for hours talking to Stefan. The rest of the Greil Mercenaries were all at a table enjoying a big meal (clearly they hadn’t slept) as Boyd belted an off-key ballad of some nature, while at the other end of the room Skirmir was roaring a Laguz anthem just as loudly. Ranulf had made a quick circuit of the mess hall—taking care to avoid Kyza and Lyre as he did so—and then made a quick exit into the morning air.

     It wasn’t until he was outside again that Ranulf had caught something on the breeze—just a whiff, the slightest hint, but Ranulf knew that scent anywhere. Sweat, but sweet and musky, with a hint of spice: Ike. He turned his head, sniffing the wind, until he found a heading. Somewhere, quietly in the distance, he could hear running water. And so, he had headed off.

     Now, as he slipped through the heavy foliage of the woods, he found the smell getting unmistakably stronger. It grew in strength and intensity until finally Ranulf reached a clearing. The ground sloped downward to a mossy bank, on which sat a pile of rumpled clothing, which Ranulf immediately recognised as Ike’s. Just beyond lay a pool of water, rippling and running between a few glistening, moss-covered rocks. The pool opened wider and, at the far end, Ranulf found the source of the running water sound: a cascade of water from a tall rock, forming a waterfall over the pool. Underneath the cascade of water, naked, bathed in the shower and spray, stood Ike.

     Ike’s body was turned away from Ranulf as he washed himself, and Ranulf let his eyes follow the water as it ran down Ike’s shoulders over his broad, muscular back, to his large, round, tight buttocks, which slid up and down next to one another as Ike shifted his weight. He stood with his legs slightly apart, and between them Ranulf could see the hint of a large, low-slung scrotum, off of which water dripped into the pool, the surface of which lapped at Ike’s muscular thighs. Ranulf had never seen a nude Beorc, and he stood for a moment admiring the lines of Ike’s body. Without a tail to distract the eye, Ike’s round ass commanded attention, and for the first time Ranulf thought there might actually be some value—even if only aesthetic—in the Beorc’s lack of the appendage.

     Ike turned his head to the side as he washed his hair and Ranulf finally caught sight of his face. Ike’s expression was pensive, with knit brows, heavy lids, and slightly open mouth. It was not an expression Ike wore in public, and seeing it made Ranulf suddenly conscious of the fact that he was, in essence, spying on his friend.

     He took a deep breath, then stepped forward down the mossy grade toward the pool, raising his hand in greeting.

     “Hey, Ike,” he announced casually.

     Ike started at the sound of Ranulf’s voice. He began to turn around and then, suddenly conscious of the state he was in, covered himself with his hands—as best he could, at least—and then tried to face Ranulf without compromising his modesty any further than he already had.

     “Ranulf!” He cried, “What are you doing here? You surprised me!”

     Ike’s reddening expression was such a comical mix of surprise and embarrassment that Ranulf couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, that makes us even for that time you snuck up on me during the Mad King’s War.”

     “I hadn’t meant to sneak up on you!” Ike protested, still trying to cover himself. He looked around for his clothes, realising with dismay that they were next to Ranulf. There would be no easy way to get them without giving Ranulf even more of an eyeful, so he stayed where he was.

     “I hadn’t meant to sneak up on you, either,” Ranulf replied. “I was just wondering where you were.” His expression suddenly changed, becoming more serious, concerned. “Are you all right? You really don’t like parties, do you?”

     “I… I have a lot on my mind. I was just uncomfortable there.”

     “What is it?” Ranulf asked sincerely.

     “You want to talk about this now?” Ike asked. “I’m naked!”

     “So?” Ranulf’s response was so matter-of-fact that Ike couldn’t tell if he was being serious or joking. “You’ve seen me naked plenty of times.”

     “What? When?”

     “Every time I’ve been in cat form, I’ve been naked except for the bandages on my paws.”

     “But… that’s different! You were still covered in fur!”

     Ranulf considered this for a moment. “I suppose that’s true,” he said. Then, a half-smile curled across his lips. “Well, what if I were to bathe too?”

     Ike blinked. He felt himself jump beneath his clenched hands. “What?”

     “You were in the middle of bathing, right?” Ranulf said. “You clearly had something on your mind; you were trying to relax and sort it out and then I came upon you and now you’re all tensed back up. Maybe it would help you relax again if we just bathed? Maybe talking about what’s bothering you will help.”

     “Ranulf, I…” Ike started, face still red.

     “…Do you want me to go?”

     “I… no,” Ike said, and Ranulf was relieved to see his shoulders relax a little. “Ever since we met you’ve told me to take it easy. So… no. I want you to stay.”

     Ranulf smiled. “Good.” He reached to his waist and unfastened his satchel, letting it fall to the ground. Then, slowly, he began to unwind the fabric sash from his waist.

     “You… you don’t have to do that,” Ike said, his face reddening again.

     “Do you want me to stop?” Ranulf asked, fixing Ike with is eyes.

     Ike hesitated. He had known Ranulf for a long time, and, amid the chaos of the war, Ranulf was really the only person he felt himself around. Something about him put Ike at ease, but even more than that, something had captured Ike’s interest. He was friendly and jovial at times, but also serious when he needed to be. He was a good leader, and a good retainer. He was also a good friend. But, Ike realised, he had come to want more than that. And in Ranulf’s question, Ike saw an invitation. This wasn’t just a question about getting in the water. It was a question about becoming more than friends.

     “…Don’t stop,” Ike said. He straightened, letting his shoulders relax more, and turned to fully face Ranulf, dropping his hands to his sides. “I want to see you,” he said.

     Ranulf gazed for a moment at Ike. The Beorc was truly a work of art, with cream-coloured skin, broad shoulders, strong arms, and a magnificent, muscular torso. The muscles of his chest stood out above his abdomen, each of his pectorals featuring a round, pink nipple. The lines of his abs rippled down his torso until meeting a puff of dark blue hair, under which hung a large, long cock, still secure in its fleshy hood, cradled between large, low, round balls. Ranulf felt his breath catch in his throat as Ike watched him, his expression open, expectant and yet slightly hesitant.

     Ike, Ranulf knew, was like him: with all the roles and responsibilities that came with a battlefield unit, he had to keep his walls up. But Ike was the one person Ranulf had finally felt able to be himself around, and now that person was standing in front of him completely open and exposed—both literally and figuratively. Ranulf wanted to meet Ike where he was: he wanted nothing between them but the morning air. And so, slowly, deliberately, Ranulf removed his clothes, first unwinding the sash around his waist and letting the large fabric cloth that draped his waist drop to the ground. Then he undid the bandages on his arms and ankles, removing his boots and gloves.

     As Ranulf undressed, Ike watched him, conscious of the effect that the removal of each article of clothing was having on his own body. Ranulf was clad solely in hat, vest, and trousers now. Ranulf looked up at him with a mischievous smile as he undid his vest, and let it fall off of his arms to reveal his bare torso.

     Ike looked at Ranulf’s muscular chest, a shade more tan than his own, and let his eyes trace the contours of his body. Ranulf was tall and thin, but it was a thinness born of fitness: his barrel chest stood out over his tight abdomen and Ike could follow every muscle with his eyes. Even in this form, there was something cat-like about him, as though his body were built for agility and speed as much as for strength. Ranulf removed his hat, and Ike was surprised to realise that, even with his trousers still on, Ranulf looked remarkably naked without his headgear. His hair on grew out from his jawline up to the ears atop his head, and Ike noted how unusual was the sight of a head like his own but with the ears in a different place. It was no wonder the cat Laguz usually wore their hair long or otherwise covered the sides of their head; the sight of Ranulf’s unadorned head looked remarkably intimate, like a secret being revealed. Ike realised suddenly that he was probably the only Beorc to have ever seen Ranulf without his headpiece.

     Ranulf moved his hands to his trousers and undid them, eyes never leaving Ike’s body. Ike returned his gaze, conscious of his own growing erection but ignoring—nay, enjoying?—Ranulf’s eyes on him as he grew.

     Ranulf’s trousers dropped to the ground as he stepped out of them, and he stood in full view of Ike, completely exposed. He had a tuft of light-blue hair at the base of his abdomen that matched that on his head, and below that was slung a robust pair of handsome balls that nuzzled a long, handsome, hooded shaft. It hung downward, as relaxed as the rest of Ranulf’s body, hanging a few inches lower than the soft scrotum it lightly kissed.

     Ranulf stood for a moment, enjoying Ike’s evident appreciation of him, and watched the hero’s manhood grow under his eyes. It lengthened slowly, standing outward as it did so, as a deep red, slick head slowly emerged from its sheathe into the open air. It stood out, jumping now and again as Ike’s erection twitched, as though it were straining toward the Laguz’s body. Ranulf smiled broadly and stepped into the pond.

     “Ahh, the water feels nice,” he said as the pond lapped up his legs. He moved further into the pool, letting the water reach up to his knees. Then, bending slightly, he began to scoop water in his hands and let it splash against his shoulders and chest. “The dawn air is so fresh. It’s nice to get a little sunlight on the skin.”

     “Yeah…” Ike said in agreement. He was watching Ranulf attentively but his voice seemed to be getting far away. Ranulf had seen this before, when Ike was distracted or had something heavy on his mind.

     “So, what’s been troubling you?” he said, trying to sound casual. “Everyone is celebrating the end of the war, but you don’t seem so enthusiastic.”

     Ike sighed. “It’s… it’s not that I’m not happy,” he said, looking at the water. “I’m glad that people are hopeful for peace now. But… I don’t feel like I can relax.”

     “Fighting took its toll on all of us,” Ranulf said. “But things might change now that the fighting is over. You made that happen, Ike.”

     Ike scowled bitterly. “Everyone keeps talking about me as though I am some sort of hero. I’ve taken so many lives in this war. I have killed a GODDESS. And Sephiran… when I learned what he had done, I was so angry. I’d never felt hatred like that before. I didn’t just want him to die, I wanted him to SUFFER. I… I never want to feel hate like that again. I’m no hero. I’m just a person who was caught up in a war and survived.”

     “That’s not what they all see. They see someone brave, someone who stood up for what is right and inspired others to do the same. That’s a hero.”

     Ike shook his head. “That’s not me. I feel like when everyone looks at me, they don’t see me. The mercenaries just see my father. Crimea sees a knight. Begnion sees a blunt political instrument to beat people over the head with. In any Laguz country that would take me, I’d be a soldier. Daein has… just too much baggage.” He let out a heavy sigh, “And now what? The hope of peace is not the same as actual peace. I feel like wherever I go, people will want me to fight more. It’s what everyone expects of me.”

     Ranulf smiled sympathetically. “People talk about you as though you’re this stoic mercenary, like you’re all business. But you care about the people around you—about their well-being, and about what they think and want—more than anyone I’ve ever met. But tell me, Ike… when was the last time you did something for yourself? Not because you thought you had to, or because you were doing it for someone else’s sake, but really when you did what you yourself wanted?”

     Ike paused. He looked at Ranulf, and that familiar, guarded, stoic expression came back to his face as he thought back over the past three years.

     “There was…” he spoke at last “there was my fight with the Black Knight.”

     Ranulf looked at him searchingly. “Did you really do that for yourself?”

     “I… I don’t know,” Ike paused, considering. “I fought him because I wanted to…” he trailed off.

     “…Is that a the end of the sentence?” Ranulf asked.

     “…I wanted to finish my father’s battle,” Ike admitted. He sighed, frustrated. “That’s just how it is for me. I’ve spent my life fighting other people’s battles. It’s the lot of a mercenary, I suppose, taking lives on behalf of someone else. But I… I don’t want that anymore.” Ike’s shoulders fell as he stood, staring pensively at the far bank. His whole body drooped, droplets of water glistening on his soft muscles like teardrops.

     “I’m sorry,” Ranulf said quietly. “I’m so sorry, Ike.”

     Ike looked up at him, curiosity on his face. “For what?”

     “I hired you to work for me. I treated you just like everyone else.”

     Ike shook his head. “No, you didn’t. Everyone else treats me as a weapon, a sword first and a person later. You… you always cared about ME. That’s why I took the job. I didn’t take it for the money, or the prestige. I… I took it to be near you.”

     “You… you did?”

     “Heh.” A small smile crossed Ike’s lips. “I guess I did one thing for myself after all.”

     “Ike…” Ranulf stepped closer as his tail twitched over the surface of the water.

     “What about you, Ranulf?” Ike asked, his gaze steady. “When have you done something for yourself?” His words were blunt but his voice was soft, earnest.

     “I…” Ranulf stopped.

     “All the time you had contracted me… from the moment the contract started until now, you’ve been running yourself ragged. You’ve barely held together. You seemed so… I dunno, playful… when we first met. But you’ve gradually become a ball of stress. You’re always moving, always giving orders or taken them. I’ve been worried you were just going to fall apart.”

     Ranulf gave a small, bitter laugh. “Maybe I was,” he said. “But the war is over now.”

     “That doesn’t mean peace, though. When will you be able to do something for yourself?”

     “I… don’t have that luxury, anymore,” Ranulf replied. “I am Skirmir’s vassal. He does as he pleases, and I just have to keep up. To him, I’m just one of his command.” He sighed. “I’m sure he’d care if I were gone, but he doesn’t always seem to care that I’m there. I feel like it could be anyone else in my shoes, and he’d be just as happy as long as they did what he said. But that’s how it is with me. Sometimes I feel like I don’t have a face, you know? Like I could just be anyone. When I’m in Gallia, I represent the military to the throne, and the throne to everyone else. Outside of Gallia, I represent the Beast tribe. And among Beorc, I represent all Laguz. Everyone seems me a representative of something else.” He looked up into Ike’s eyes. “Except for you, Ike. You have always treated me as me.”

     “Why would I treat you as anyone else?” Ike replied. “You’re you. You’re Ranulf. You’re one person; not anyone else.”

     The simplicity of the response caught Ranulf off guard. Ike said it as though it were the most natural thing in the world, almost as though he were affronted that it wasn’t obvious to anyone else. He had always encouraged Ranulf to just… be Ranulf, to take even a moment to stop worrying about everyone’s expectations on him. Ranulf knew that it was something Ike had trouble doing himself. And yet it seemed so easy when they were together. Perhaps… perhaps that was what they could do for one another, Ranulf thought. Could they help each other to be themselves?

     “You deserve better than this life you’ve been forced into, Ike,” Ranulf said. “This continent has thrust you into a war that wasn’t your own, into a battle that you shouldn’t have had to fight. Why not find your own path from here on out?”

     “I’ve thought about it,” Ike admitted. “Taking a ship out of Crimea, or crossing the mountains beyond Daein… but it’s a lot to leave behind.” He shook his head. “I don’t know. That’s a hard choice to make. And what about you? Are you stuck with Skirmir forever?”

     “That’s the way it looks,” Ranulf said with a sigh. “I mean, I’m his vassal as long as he’s the successor. When he’s appointed king, there will be some shuffling, because every current appointment will be dissolved and new positions assigned under the new leadership. Even so, he’s likely to reappoint me as his commander simply because he’s used to me. There’s a window just after the succession before those new appointments are made where I suppose I could leave, but… where would I go? I don’t know any other home; I don’t have any other family. No other Laguz tribe would accept a beast tribe member who left service to the throne. No Beorc kingdom would house a former Laguz commander. Where else is there for me to call home?”

     “You could come with me,” Ike said.

     “What?” Ranulf blinked.

     “You could come with me,” Ike repeated. “We could make a new home. Striking out on my own, it’s too daunting to go alone. But with you with me, I could do it.”

     Ike…” Ranulf started.

     Ike stepped closer through the water, so that there were only a few inches between them. “Tell me,” he said softly. “Never mind Skirmir; never mind Gallia; never mind everyone back at camp. What is it that YOU want, Ranulf? Right this moment, what would make you happy?”

     Ranulf looked into Ike’s eyes. “To kiss you,” he said.

     Without another word, he leaned in and pressed his lips to Ike’s.

     It was as though the entire world stopped, as though the pool stopped rippling, the wind stopped blowing, and even the waterfall stopped falling, the droplets suspended in mid-air as the entire cosmos paused, and all that was left was Ike and Ranulf, lips touching as the dawn sunlight shone on their naked bodies in the wilderness.

     The kiss had caught Ike completely by surprise. For an instant, he hadn’t know what to do, but then he let his body and his emotions take over and he kissed back, reaching his arms up to put one hand on Ranulf’s arm on and one on his face, feeling Ranulf’s on his own.

     A moment later, Ranulf pulled back, a shy smile on his face. Ike looked back at him in wonder. For a mercenary, Ike’s lips were wonderfully soft.

     “That was… my first kiss,” Ike admitted.

     Ranulf paused for a moment. “Really?” he asked. It was easy to forget that for all Ike’s strength and experience, he was still a young lad of 20, having spent most of his life under the disciplined eye of the mercenaries.

     “Yeah,” Ike admitted, his expression turning uncertain as his cheeks reddened. “I… haven’t had much time for that sort of thing. I kind of had a crush on Boyd when I was younger but he was always interested in my sister…. And then it’s always been girls interested in me, and I could never see the appeal of kissing a girl.”

     Ranulf chuckled in understanding. “I know what you mean. So… how did your first kiss make you feel?”

     A small smile crossed Ike’s lips. “Like I can’t wait to have my second,” he said.

     Ranulf grinned. “Well then c’mere,” he said.

     Ike reached around Ranulf and pulled the Laguz against him, kissing him deeply. His erection, which had flagged during the conversation, leapt back to life, pressing urgently against Ranulf’s abdomen, causing a similar reaction in return.

     As they kissed, Ike let his hands explore Ranulf’s back, running his fingers over the ridges of tight muscle. Ranulf ran his hands down Ike’s side to his hips, holding his waist and shifting so that their erections pressed up against one another.

     “Ranulf…” Ike moaned appreciatively at the new sensation.

     Ike felt Ranulf’s tongue slide into his mouth as their kissing intensified. He hadn’t known what to expect from a Laguz kiss—a part of him had always expected Ranulf’s tongue to be like sandpaper—but it was slick and warm and wet, with a hint of sweetness that made Ike hungry for more. He slid his hands down Ranulf’s back, over his waist, to the cheeks of Ranulf’s round, firm ass, and sqeezed. The fleshy muscle felt perfect in his palms.

     Ranulf gave an appreciative moan as Ike kneaded his butt. In return, Ranulf slid his arms up and forward to Ike’s chest, placing a palm on the side of each pectoral muscle, and began to tease Ike’s nipples with his thumbs.

     Ike’s eyes shot open as what felt like electricity coursed through his chest and moved straight to his cock. He groaned his approval and squeezed Ranulf’s ass harder, pulling his hips toward him so that their engorged cocks, pressed tightly between their hips, began to slide over one another.

     Their abdomens became slick as they continued frotting and kissing, Ike squeezing Ranulf’s ass and pulling it against him as their breathing quickened. Eventually, Ranulf released Ike’s mouth and leaned back to smile at him.

     “What is it?” Ike panted.

     “This is all new to you?”

     “Yeah…”

     “Do you like it?”

     Ike nodded frantically.

     Ranulf grinned and ran his hand down Ike’s abs to close it around his shaft. Ike closed his eyes at the sensation of Ranulf’s fingers around him, feeling the sensation of Ranulf’s grip sliding up and down over the ridge of his glans.

     “Ike,” he asked quietly. “Can I… do more?”

     Breathlessly, Ike nodded again.

     “Lie on the bank,” Ranulf commanded softly, gently placing his palm on Ike’s large chest and guiding him back to the edge of the pool. Ike stepped out onto the soft, mossy bank, and Ranulf found a suitable spot, where the ground dropped sharply toward the water to make a kind of ridge. Guiding Ike to sit at the edge, he then directed him to lie back against the soft grass.

     “Spread your legs,” he instructed.

     “Huh?” Ike asked, as Ranulf knelt in front of him and put a hand behind each knee, lifting his legs up and apart.

     Ranulf allowed himself a moment to enjoy the view in front of him. Ike’s erection stood in the air, pointing straight at him, the large, handsome balls slung underneath it like eggs in a basket. He could see Ike’s face watching him in uncertain fascination. He gave Ike a mischevious grin, then slowly opened his mouth.

     “Ranulf?” Ike asked. “What are you going to—!?”

     Ike stopped mid-sentence as Ranulf’s lips closed over his erect cock. He groaned involuntarily as he felt himself inside Ranulf’s mouth, the Laguz’s warm, wet tongue sliding across the underside of his shaft and teasing the spot just underneath his cock head. Ranulf sucked in and his head moved forward, and Ike watched as much of his shaft disappeared behind Ranulf’s lips. He felt his cock head bump up against something, then felt it part and his cock slid into Ranulf’s throat, until Ranulf’s nose was nuzzling the indigo hair at the base of Ike’s abdomen. Then the slick movement reversed, and Ike’s shaft emerged, wet and dripping with saliva, right up until just his glans remained in Ranulf’s mouth. Ranulf’s every motion spilled through Ike’s body, flowing up his spine and down his limbs, flooding his brain with passion and heat. Then Ranulf’s tongue ran over the tip of Ike’s cock and it was as though his body erupted into sparks. No sooner had Ike groaned his pleasure than Ranulf was advancing again, taking Ike’s full length into him.  

     Ranulf continued to work at Ike. He had wanted to touch the Beorc since he had first laid eyes on him, and after the Mad King’s War ended Ranulf constantly found himself longing to be close to Ike again. But, having experienced firsthand the discomfort of having to work with people who were constantly making sexual advances toward him, Ranulf had tried hard to push romantic thoughts of Ike from his mind once they were together again. Now, he was pleasuring him in an intimacy beyond any he had allowed himself to dare imagine. He could scarcely believe it, but he didn’t let it stop him from enjoying every moment—and every inch—of Ike. He inhaled the dark, masculine musk of Ike’s crotch as he pressed his nose into his abdomen, tasted the contrast of the sweet and salt of the precum on his large, slick cock. He wondered what Ike’s cum would taste like. Perhaps he was about to find out.

     Ike’s eyes were locked on Ranulf’s face, his mind a whirl of amazement and pleasure and sex. He had never in his wildest imagination thought it possible for one person to make another feel this good. The fact that that person was Ranulf only made the feeling that much more intense. He felt his body fill with heat, felt parts of him tighten as though he were approaching a sort of crest. But he didn’t want to reach it yet—he wanted more.

     “Ranulf?” Ike gasped, managing to find his voice.

     Ranulf’s eyes opened and met Ike’s as Ranulf continued moving. The sight of Ranulf’s face, looking up expectantly as he continued to move up and down Ike’s cock, was so sexy and adorable that Ike nearly bade him continue, just to enjoy his expression a moment longer. But he made himself speak:

     “Ranulf, I want… I want to try that. I want to taste you.”

     Ranulf felt his cock give an involuntary jump at the words. Ike wanted to take him in his mouth. He let Ike drop from his lips and began to straighten, but as soon as he did so Ike put his feet between Ranulf’s legs and then shifted, scooting laterally and down off of the ridge to a spot beside it at the edge of the of the pond where his ass was just in a cool inch of water.

     “Can… can you kneel down?” Ike asked, looking up at Ranulf with red cheeks.

     Ranulf did as Ike asked, kneeling in the edge of the pool so that his crotch was about level with Ike’s head.

     Ike stared at Ranulf’s stiff, wet erection, his large soft balls, the scruff of light blue hair that adorned the very base of his abdomen. He had never had such a close look at another person’s penis before, let alone that of someone he was so attracted to. It was… magnificent, he decided. He let his eyes trace the light outlines of the veins running down the shaft, the contours of his scrotum, watched the red cock head twitch under his gaze. Ranulf watched him with anticipation, his erection growing further under Ike’s hot stare. Ike reached his hands around to take hold of Ranulf’s round, firm ass, and then slowly parted his lips and moved his head forward.

     Ranulf gasped as Ike’s lips closed his erection, his hot, wet tongue teasing Ranulf’s head and shaft. Ike sucked gently, pulling Ranulf into him, and Ranulf moaned approvingly at the feeling of Ike’s slick mouth sliding against his erection.

     Ike pulled Ranulf’s ass toward him, swallowing more of Ranulf before letting him slide back and repeating. Ranulf felt hot and fleshy and alive on his tongue, the taste at once sweet and salty. He breathed in through his nose, Ranulf’s musky sandalwood and spice scent filling his nostrils and enticing Ike further. He gave Ranulf’s ass a loving squeeze and then let his hands slide to Ranulf’s hips, then explored up his body as Ranulf began to lightly pump back and forth against his face. Ike’s fingers reached Ranulf’s chest and found his firm nipples. Lightly, he pinched them, and Ranulf let out a cry as the sensation coursed through him like an instrument being plucked. As if in resonance, Ranulf’s cock twitched sharply in Ike’s mouth, which only encouraged the Beorc further.

     Ranulf rode the pleasure, the rising intensity making his hands desperate for something to touch. He reached his right hand behind him where it found Ike’s thick, long erection straining fervently toward the morning sky, and his fingers closed around it. Ike groaned into Ranulf’s cock as Ranulf began to slide his hands up and down, his speed and rhythm falling into time with Ike’s bobbing head. Their speed intensified, and Ike felt the sweet salty taste intensify as Ranulf’s erection began seeping precum into his mouth. The taste and the twitching in his mouth combined with the feeling of Ranulf’s hand on his shaft, and Ike began to lose himself in the passion, bucking his full mouth and continuing to tease the nipples of Ranulf’s heaving, gasping chest.

     Then, suddenly, he felt Ranulf pull back, and his round, pulsing, leaking cock head popped from Ike’s hungry mouth. Ike looked up at Ranulf’s flushed face questioningly.

     “Is… is it not good?”

     “Oh, no, it’s amazing,” Ranulf gasped, his voice breathless and raspy. Then he flashed a white, mischevious grin. “I’m just not ready to finish yet.” He caught his breath, and swallowed hard, a flash of hesitation crossing his face. “There’s something else I want to do too… can I show you?”

     Ike, unsure of where Ranulf was going but desperately wanting to get there, nodded.

     Ranulf smiled again and ran his fingers up and down Ike’s cock behind him. It was seeping precum in earnest now; the slick, sticky liquid ran in rivulets down the shaft and through Ranulf’s fingers. It should be more than lubricated enough.

     Slowly, gingerly, Ranulf sat back, guiding Ike’s erection with his hand, watching his partner’s face closely. He grinned as Ike’s eyes widened at the realisation of what Ranulf was about to do, and the guileless, amazed, completely aroused expression on the Beorc’s face made Ranulf’s cock jump, splashing a bit of precum on Ike’s stomach as it did so.

     “I’ve wanted to do this with you for three years,” Ranulf admitted as he directed Ike’s straining cock between the cheeks of his ass.

     “Ranulf…” Ike gasped, the heat of Ranulf’s hole against the tip of his glans.

     “Can I…?” Ranulf asked.

     “Oh gods please yes,” Ike breathed in passion and disbelief.

     Ranulf sat back on Ike’s throbbing erection, letting it push his way inside him as he did so. Ike’s eyes shot open wide as he penetrated him, the feeling of Ranulf’s tight ass hugging his swollen cock sending a hot wave of pleasure up his spine. Ranulf inhaled sharply through clenched teeth as he pushed his body downward. Ike was big, but he hadn’t realised just how big until he felt Ike splitting his insides. With every inch Ranulf lowered Ike’s mouth seemed to open an inch wider, in a giant, prolonged moan of approval.

     Finally Ranulf’s butt sat against Ike’s legs and Ranulf stopped for a second to catch his breath. The discomfort melted away as Ike twitched inside of him, his massive cock kissing Ranulf’s prostate and coaxing out all manner of pleasures through his body. But Ranulf didn’t want Ike’s cock to just kiss that spot: he wanted it to pound it, to squeeze out every ounce of sex into Ranulf’s veins and then explode into him with all the force he could muster.

     “Ranulf, are you OK?” Ike asked at the look in Ranulf’s eyes.

     “Yeah,” Ranulf breathed. “I just… want more. Give me all of you.”

     Ike gasped as Ranulf lifted himself up slightly, and then dropped his body back on Ike’s girth, squeezing his ass slightly as he did so. He braced his hands against Ike’s chest as he repeated. Each pump sent a cascade through his body, starting from his cock and rushing up his spine, filling his head with an intoxicating desire for more, for sex, for Ranulf. He began bucking his hips against the Laguz’s ass, feeling his cock pound against Ranulf’s hot, slick insides, felt Ranulf’s flesh embracing him in return.

     “I’ve… I’ve wanted you for so long,” Ranulf breathed as the pumping intensified, Ike pushing over and over against his insides and squeezing pleasure cascading through his body. “You’ve been on my thoughts constantly. All I’ve wanted was to be near you, with you.”

     He gasped and yowled his pleasure as Ike rammed into him, stronger this time, and looked into the Beorc’s face. Ike’s expression was one of amazement, as though he couldn’t quite believe what was happening. He looked so raw, so open, so completely present, that Ranulf couldn’t help but smile through all the layers of passion and sex.

     “Every time I was alone,” Ranulf continued, “when I could get a moment and needed pleasure, I would think about you. Your handsome face, your amazing body, your big, warm heart… any time I needed to get some release, you’re who I would think about with my hand on my cock. And yet none of it—none of my wild imaginings could possibly compare to the feeling of having you inside me right now.”

     Ranulf’s words fuelled Ike’s ardour as his heart raced and hips bucked, his ass splashing loudly in and out of the water as thrust into Ranulf. All this time, Ranulf had been thinking about him, wanting him, just as Ike had often been thinking about Ranulf. Ike hadn’t been thinking of him with a hand on his cock, however; life in the mercenary camp rarely afforded the time—or the privacy—for the luxury of masturbation. Instead, Ike often found himself dreaming at night about the contours of Ranulf’s body, of Ranulf whispering in his ear, of seeing what lay beneath his trousers, only to awaken to the flustered embarrassment of finding that he had ruined his pants, his shirt, and sometimes even his sheets with thick stickiness. For all the mortifying mornings in the barracks, however, he hadn’t dared imagine that Ranulf would actually be his first kiss, never mind his first… everything else.

     But now, there was no need for a dream or fantasy. Ranulf was there, his expression one of passionate ecstasy as he rode Ike’s cock. There was no need to imagine what Ranulf looked like naked as Ike ran his eyes over the beautiful, bucking torso, felt the balls slapping against his skin, watched the deep red cock head bounce up and down as it spattered precum across Ike’s abs. He felt Ranulf’s passion and heat embracing his erection as he rammed again and again deep into his ass, slamming against his prostate. He felt the warm sensation tighten inside him as his body focused energy in his crotch. Ranulf leaned his head back, his mouth gaping with passion and joy, as the muscles in his body tightened.

     Ike felt himself approach a precipice. His body bucked, harder and farther, and gave a giant push.

     And heaved Ranulf so high that the Laguz bounced right off of his erection.

     The two stared at eachother in dazed confusion for a second as the tide of passion receded from the tipping point.

     Ranulf blinked. “Urh…?” came the question, almost half-grunt and half-meow.

     “I… I think I slipped out.” Ike managed.

     Ranulf blinked again, then gave an open, sincere laugh. “Whew, you really are something,” he said. “You must have bounced me pretty darn high for you to have slipped out; you’re pretty well-equipped down there.” He reached his hand back around to find Ike’s erection. “Now hold on while I get you back in me where you belong.”

     “Wait,” Ike said. “Don’t.”

     Ranulf stopped moving and looked back at Ike’s face in confusion. “Huh? You… you don’t like it?”

     “No, I like it a whole lot, believe me; in fact I don’t think I’ve ever liked anything more.” He paused, his already flushed expression turning beet red. “It’s just… I…”

     “What is it?” Ranulf asked.

     “I… want to know what that feels like, too.”

     “What… ‘what’ feels like?”

     “I… I want… I want to know what it feels like to have you inside me,” Ike said, face still bright red. He kept his eyes on Ranulf’s. “I want you to fill me. That’s… that’s where I want you to come.”

     Ranulf stared at Ike wide-eyed. His ear twitched; his tail swished; his cock jumped, dripping still more precum into the spreading pool on Ike’s abdomen. The wild, primal passion that had gripped them moments before shifted, replaced with something softer, deeper, more tender and yet no less sexual.

     Ranulf leaned forward and kissed Ike lightly, then again deeply. He moved his mouth to Ike’s ear and closed his lips over Ike’s earlobe, eliciting an approving moan, and then whispered, “Scoot up the bank.”

     The whisper was low and sensual, and the sound of it made Ike’s cock jump. Ike obeyed, lifting his ass out of the surface of the water and shifting up and sideways, back to the higher ridge where Ranulf had first closed his mouth around him.

     Ranulf moved forward, taking Ike’s legs and holding them up and apart, giving himself a clear view of his ass. Ike’s hole was small and tight; looking even smaller beneath his large balls, which rose and fell with anticipation beneath the surface of Ike’s creamy scrotum. He stepped closer still, letting Ike cross his ankles behind his waist, and reached down to the pool of precum on Ike’s abdomen, dipping his fingers into it and letting the sweet, slick stickiness cover them. Then he moved his fingers between Ike’s cheeks.

     Ike gasped at Ranulf’s touch as the Laguz coated the outside of his opening. “Do you want me to put a finger in first and loosen you up?” Ranulf asked.

     “No,” Ike replied. “Just… go slow.”

     Ranulf nodded and positioned the head of his cock against Ike’s hole. Even the feeling of that much contact sent a pulse through Ike’s body, and he exhaled sharply.

     “Are you ready?” Ranulf asked.

     “Yes…” Ike replied, voice soft and low and pleading. “Please. Please, Ranulf…”

     Ranulf bent forward over Ike’s body and kissed him. As he did so, he slowly pivoted his hips forward, and the head of his erection slowly pushed its way inside. He felt Ike wince as he met resistance.

     “Gods, you’re tight,” Ranulf breathed. “Does it hurt?”

     “A… A little, but I’m OK,” Ike said.

     “Maybe this will help,” Ranulf whispered. He pulled his forearms between their chests and rested his palms on either side of Ike’s pecs. Then, just as he did when they were first kissing, he began gently, lightly teasing Ike’s erect nipples with his thumbs.

     Ike gasped and titled his head back as each brush of Ranulf’s fingers set a spark of electricity coursing through him. He began to pant more heavily, and his reaction further engorged Ranulf’s erection as the Laguz watched the pleasure write itself across Ike’s face. Ike shut his eyes as the sensation made his chest tighten and his cock jump, and felt the muscles inside his ass relax slightly. At the same time, he felt Ranulf push forward against him, easing further and further inside. Ike felt his muscles part to welcome him as the initial pain gave way to a feeling of warm fullness. Presently, he felt the sensation of Ranulf’s thighs against his buttocks.

     “There,” Ranulf breathed, as Ike tilted his head back to meet his gaze. “I’m all the way in.”

     “You’re… you’re big,” Ike panted, brows knit.

     “Not as big as you, though,” Ranulf said with a small smile, reaching one hand between them down to wrap his fingers around Ike’s engorged member. It was fully hard now, his throbbing glans completely free of its sheath and oozing a steady stream of slick, sweet precum that quickly covered Ranulf’s hand. The feeling of Ranulf’s fingers on his cock sent a tingle through Ike’s body, causing his sphincter to grasp Ranulf in a tight embrace and then slightly loosen its grip.

     “I’m going to move now, OK?” Ranulf asked.

     Words escaping him, Ike nodded.

     Ranulf shifted his hips and Ike felt the fullness abate slightly as Ranulf’s erection retreated, pulling back until it was just inside the ridge of tight muscle that had barred the initial entry, and then, slightly faster, it pushed forward again, filling Ike until he felt Ranulf’s thighs against his buttocks once more. Like waves against the shore, the motion repeated, pulling back, pushing forward. The gentle pumping felt like an infusion of life, as though each push were filling Ike with something he’d never known he’d always needed. As Ranulf moved, Ike felt his own cock slide against the ridges of Ranulf’s abdomen, each stroke sending ripples through his body and causing his erection to strain harder against the Laguz’s body, increasing the sensation further in turn.

     They continued, slowly, lovingly, Ike gently clutching Ranulf’s erection with his muscles as Ranulf pumped in and out, feeling their bodies against one another, the slow cascade of pleasure washing over them. Ike raised his head and kissed Ranulf again, deeply, letting the sweet scent of sweat and moss and water and musk fill his nostrils as Ranulf’s tongue pushed into his mouth in time with their pumping.

     Finally, Ike pulled his head back.

     “I want to see you,” he whispered.

     “Huh?” Ranulf asked, cocking an eyebrow.

     “I want… I want to watch you having sex with me.”

     Ranulf smiled slightly and pulled his torso away from Ike’s, straightening. As he did, Ike’s erection leapt up, free from the weight of Ranulf’s abdomen, standing tall and earnest in the warm morning air. It glistened as it dripped it sweet nectar down his shaft, coating the puff of blue hair and pooling between his large balls.

     Ranulf took Ike’s right leg and lifted it, resting the ankle on his own left shoulder, then grasped Ike’s left ankle and held it at his side, keeping Ike open and giving them a full view of one another’s bodies.

     Ike felt Ranulf shifting inside of him as their positions changed, the movement teasing the edges of his insides. Then, Ranulf thrust his hips forward, and spots burst dancing before Ike’s eyes as Ranulf’s cock threw itself against his prostate. The feeling was unlike anything he had ever imagined, as though pure pleasure were being squeezed out into his blood. He gasped and groaned, and his expression became one of such open wonder and intensity that Ranulf couldn’t help but grin, even as Ike’s ass tightened around Ranulf’s cock and sent a wave of pleasure cascading through the Laguz in return.

     Ranulf began to thrust with vigor, and Ike pushed his hips back in response, letting his eyes run over his partner’s torso as Ranulf thrust against him. His chest heaved with each breath, and his abs, slick with Ike’s precum, tightened and released with each push, etched against the surface of his tanned skin. Ike shifted his gaze to Ranulf’s face, and watched him, watched his eyes dance over his broad, heaving chest, his slick abdomen, his tall, darkening, wet cock and his large, tightening balls.

     Then their gazes locked and the pace quickened, Ranulf letting out a low rumble of pleasure with each push, his mouth slightly open in a panting smile. Ike groaned and whimpered as Ranulf rammed over and over against his prostate. They were no longer simply having sex.

     They were making love.

     Ike felt his body tighten, his balls pull taut, his cock fill, as he reached the crest of sensation and hung there, suspended at the precipice, for one, two, three more thrusts.

     And then, like a dam bursting, the orgasm exploded forth. Ike let out a shout as he blasted a stream of semen far over his head, cum splattering on the moss and the grass. He shouted again, then coughed as his second blast fired toward his face and into his own mouth.

     Each blast was accompanied by a squeeze of Ike’s sphincter, and the extra friction coupled with the sight of Ike soaking himself caused Ranulf’s orgasm to immediately erupt as well. He yowled and fired into Ike’s ass as Ike’s bucking erection continued to spray hot, white, sticky cum like a loosed firehose, covering their bodies, their faces, and the surrounding ground with thick, glistening semen.

     The shared orgasm rocked them like a tidal wave, cascading wildly across their bodies and blasting forth through the ends of their cocks. Ranulf bucked and thrust as the orgasm rocked him, filling Ike so full that he overflowed, the continued bursts sending strings of cum out the edges of Ike’s hole to spatter over Ranulf’s cock, his balls, his blue tuft of hair, and splashing down his legs and into the waters of the pond.

     The feeling of Ranulf continuing to fire against his prostate only intensified Ike’s own orgasm. He cried out as he crested a second time, then a third, each new multiple orgasm sending a renewed stream of cum bursting from his cock, firing between them to hit the ground behind Ike’s head, and once even the tree trunk beyond that.

     At long last the waves subsided and the orgasm calmed. Ranulf gave one last cry as one last thrust sent another spurt of cum out the edges of Ike’s ass and splashing to the water. And then they stopped, panting, looking into one another’s eyes. Ranulf shifted his hips and his still-erect cock slipped neatly out of Ike, a flow of his cum following in its wake to dribble down between Ike’s cheeks, over the edge of the little ridge, and into the water.

     Ike exhaled, a large, satisfied sigh of amazement.

     “Wow,” was all he said.

     Ranulf’s mouth curled into a half-smile. “Yeah. ‘Wow’ about sums it up.”

     Ike nodded silently, and Ranulf studied his face. What they had just done was no small thing. He leaned forward and crawled up the gradual slope of the bank to the side of the little ridge on which Ike lay. Ike did not get up but shifted his body to the side, and Ranulf lay down in the grass, half next to Ike, half over him, as though to be both protective and reassuring at once. Ike looked up at him, face covered in his own sticky semen, much like the rest of their bodies, which dripped into one another, connecting them with thread after thread of white droplets. Ranulf slipped an arm behind Ike’s neck and put another across his warm, wet, broad torso, and felt Ike’s hands rest on his back.

     “So… that was your first time, huh?” Ranulf asked softly. “How do you feel?”

     Ike’s mouth widened into a grin—a pure, joyful grin that lit up his face and made Ranulf’s heart melt.

     “Like I can’t wait to have my second,” he said.

     Ranulf kissed him, long and deep. The trepidation he had sensed in Ike was gone now. Right there, right then, at least, Ike was completely in the moment, completely present in Ranulf’s embrace.

     Slowly, Ike became conscious of a strange sound, a low, soothing rumble. For a moment, he was confused, but then he suddenly realised the source of the noise.

     “Ranulf,” he asked, “are you… purring?”

     Ranulf grinned. “Sorry; I can’t help it. I purr. The cat’s out of the bag. Or out of the Beorc, in this case.”

     Ike laughed. It was only the second time he had laughed in the past three years, and both times it had been Ranulf’s doing. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you purr before,” Ike said.

     “I only purr when I am completely, utterly happy,” Ranulf said. “And honestly, I can’t remember the last time I felt that way.”

     Ike grinned and kissed him again.

     “I don’t want this moment to end,” Ranulf said.

     Ike sighed. He didn’t want it to end either, but it must. There was a celebratory camp to return to, one representing a continent of kingdoms waiting for them. And duties that lay ahead. The war was over, but the next chapter in Tellius’s history was just beginning. No matter what plans they had for the future, they couldn’t leave that chapter to write itself, not just yet.

     “We have to go back,” Ike said sadly. “I don’t want to, but we do.” He turned his head and looked to the far bank of the pool. Their clothes lay there, and next to them, stuck in the ground, was Ragnell, standing like a stern reminder of a continent of expectations on his shoulder.

     “I think I hate it,” he murmured.

     “Huh?” Ranulf asked, turning to follow his gaze. “What do you hate?”

     “Ragnell… I don’t want it anymore.”

     “What? Why?”

     “Whenever I look at it, it just reminds me of the war, of the lives I’ve taken. It’s been a part of me for the past three years, but all it carries is pain.” Ike sighed again, even more heavily. “It’s no ordinary sword. It’s too powerful to just leave around for anyone to find. But one day… One day I want to find someone I can give it to. Somebody I can train to use it with respect. They can trade on my name, claim my lineage if they want to. Let it be their legacy. I’m done with it.”

     Ranulf studied the sword as if seeing it for the first time. It was powerful, of that there was no doubt. It was a part of Ike, as he said. But it wasn’t a part of who Ike wanted to be.

     “Then we’ll find that person,” Ranulf said softly.

     “‘We’?” Ike asked.

     Ranulf turned back to look Ike in the eyes, and smiled. “Yeah, ‘we’. After we leave the continent to travel the world, we’ll have plenty of time to find someone to give Ragnell to.”

     Ike stared at Ranulf in surprise for a moment, his eyes glistening in the morning light. Then he burst back into a joyous, excited smile.

     “You mean you’ll come with me?”

     “You bet I will!” Ranulf exclaimed. “I will go anywhere with you, Ike. I… I can’t imagine a life without you in it. And I want to see the road you’ll take, help you to be the person you’ll become. And I want to know the person I’ll become when I’m with you, free and happy and with everything I need in the world. Because everything I need is you, Ike. I… I love you.”

     Tears formed in Ike’s eyes. He grinned widely. “I love you too, Ranulf. I love you more than anything.” He kissed him again, deeply, lovingly. “I don’t think this is a path I could walk alone. But if you’re with me, I can do it. And I promise, Ranulf… I promise to do everything I can to make you happy.”

     “You already do a pretty good job of that,” Ranulf replied with a grin.

     “But we can’t go just yet,” Ike said.

     “No… we have to make sure the continent is stable,” Ranulf agreed, “and I have to see Skirmir enthroned as the new king of Gallia. But while things get sorted out, let’s make sure to keep seeing plenty of one another. And everything thing settles down, I say we meet back here to start our new lives.”

     “That sounds perfect,” Ike replied with a smile.

     “When that day comes…,” Ranulf turned his head to the east, the opposite direction from their camp, and pointed down a road out of the clearing, shining below the morning sun. “When that day comes, I say we head that way, down the path beyond the dawn.”

     And, several months later, that is exactly what they did.

 

THE END


End file.
